Where You Go, I Go
by Neferit
Summary: Bilbo has a friend, hobbit girl (in this case named Viola Whitfoot), who refuses to let Bilbo leave the Shire on his own in company of 13 strange dwarves and a wizard, no matter what they tell her. She's used to dealing with strangers, after all, after years working at the inn. Friends do not leave each other in time of need. With romance in later chapters.
1. Leaving

**A/N:** So, more of us had been thinking about it already – Bilbo has a friend, hobbit girl (in this case named Viola Whitfoot), who refuses to let Bilbo leave the Shire on his own in company of 13 strange dwarves and a wizard, no matter what they tell her. She's used to dealing with strangers, after all, after years working at the inn. Friends do not leave each other in time of need.

Will be posted in form of short (or maybe some longer) snippets.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING…

* * *

**Leaving**

Bilbo always knew that his friend Viola was a force to be considered when she put her heart into it. When he fainted at the mention of the quest, she had been there to catch him before he could hit the floor – for which he had been deeply grateful to her – and she also could give the stinkiest eyes when it came to the dwarves making fun of him afterwards.

"Well, if Bilbo decides to go, I will go with him," she said resolutely, glaring at Thorin who glared right back. Bilbo coughed. "That will not be necessary, Viola," he said, calling attention of everyone back to himself. "I'm sorry; gentlemen, but you got the wrong hobbit. I'm not going."

He ignored the disappointed sighs and looks, as the dwarves laid down to rest before they left tomorrow morning, walking Viola to her smial.

It sure didn't come as a surprise to her when he ran to her home next morning, stuttering about having to go with the dwarves. "I knew you would come around," she said, pulling a fully packed backpack from behind the doors. Before they left, she made him show her what exactly he packed in his haste, adding some more essentials into his pack, before leading him to the inn's stables. He couldn't help but wonder whether his friend knew him better than he knew himself, as they quickly rode on their own ponies after the dwarves who had several hours head start on them.

They sure surprised the company, when they caught up with them, even if there had been smirks about the hobbit burglar taking his mommy with him. Surprising himself, he levelled a glare at them. "All of you have friends and family with you on this journey," he said, "and Viola here is all that for me."

His friend gave him a small smile as she rode beside him, nodding to the dwarves who introduced themselves to her properly. They both knew this journey will be in all probability dangerous – the knowledge that he won't be facing all of it on his own still gave him comfort.


	2. Braids

**A/N: **Some traditions really differ.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING…

* * *

**Braids**

The hobbits tended to keep to themselves; after all, it wasn't like everyone felt the need to include them to their conversations, so the pair of them tended to speak quietly between themselves, lending hand here and there when it came to building a camp for the night, cooking dinner or taking care of the ponies.

It took several days before the dwarves started to approach them outside of "hand me this" or "hold that". Obviously, Ori wanted to know more about hobbits, as there had been so very few records in dwarven libraries about them, and both hobbits were happy to answer all the questions he came up with. Yet it surprised them both when one evening, while they were asking him in turn about something related to dwarves and Viola sat on the ground, handing Bilbo her brush, so he could braid her hair (something they tended to do time to time, as it usually granted them few moments to talk about whatever they wished) and Ori blushed and quickly excused himself, leaving them staring after him.

It took them half a day before they forced him to tell them what made him leave so quickly the previous evening. Obviously, braiding one's hair meant that you were very, very important to them – either you were family, or you were courting, and as such, him being a witness to that meant he was intruding on them. It made them laugh so hard that they spent next five minutes by trying to suppress their laughter, leaving still furiously blushing Ori to gape at them, before Bilbo gathered himself enough to explain that while man braiding woman's hair sure is not all that usual in hobbit culture as well, it surely does not have the same meaning as it does in dwarven culture. Meaning – they are very close friends, but that's exactly what their relationship was about.

Bilbo didn't tell Viola, but he noticed that Dwalin stopped glaring daggers at him quite that hard, once he heard Ori asking whether they really weren't courting, and him responding that they really are not.


	3. First Trouble

**A/N: **And they say cooking is safe.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING…

* * *

**First Trouble  
**

To say that their leader was not very happy to have two hobbits trailing after him would be an understatement. He obviously hated even the idea of having one stone weighting him down on this journey – and now he got two of them!

For a moment Bilbo thought that he may improve the way their leader looked at them by following on what Kili and Fili told him – it seemed like quite easy thing to do, to get their ponies from the trolls, if only it didn't blow up in Bilbo's face so badly that the whole company got captured by the trolls, leaving only the hobbits free.

"So, let's sum things up – the whole company is captured by the trolls and tied up, Gandalf is nowhere to be found at the moment and neither of us has any weapons."

"Well," Bilbo started, "it's not all that long before sunrise – and once the sun touches the trolls, we do not need to worry about the weapons."

"But what should we do to keep them away from killing the company for so long?" worried Viola, before they finally figured it out. They will have to keep the trolls occupied with something only hobbits could talk _for hours_ at end.

_Cooking_.

"You need to skin them first."

"_Absolutely_ not. Dear masters trolls, do not listen to him. Really, who had ever seen it – skinning how many dwarves?" Viola appeared from the opposite side of troll camp and made a show of turning around wildly, as she 'counted' the dwarves. "One," turn around, "two," another turn, "three…"

"What is that thing doing?" asked one of the trolls, bewildered someone is talking so much in front of them. All of them had been used to have their food screaming – but these two seemed actually quite calm, as they argued about the best way how to cook the dwarves.

"I was counting the dwarves, before you interrupted me," replied Viola crossly. "Now I forgot how many I counted so far. Be quiet for a moment," she ordered them, and the trolls followed on her order, clearly dumbfounded. "One, two, three,…"

After a moment, when she finally finished counting the dwarves, she exclaimed: "Oh my! Thirteen dwarves – no way you would have to skin them, masters trolls. There are better ways how to do that!"

Bilbo immediately jumped to her help. "Of course – although, first you need to find the proper herbs…"

"… and of course, lots and lots of clay," Viola finished with a bright smile.

Both of them exchanged a nervous glance, as they risked a look the way east was. The sun was about to rise, but they still needed to keep trolls attention on themselves, so they wouldn't notice.

"But oh!" exclaimed Bilbo, looking down at the nearest dwarf as if he saw him for the first time. Viola rushed to him, staring at Dwalin. "You can't eat those," she said, turning to face the trolls again.

"Why?" asked one of the trolls, William.

"Because…" Viola looked desperately at Bilbo, who returned it with a desperate glance of his own. "Because they got parasites. In their _tubes_," he blurted before he could stop himself.

For a moment it seemed the ruse might work, but then Kili yelled, clearly offended. "I have no parasites!_ You_ have parasites!"

And from that, the ruse was up.

Gandalf sure had the most convenient timing ever, thought Viola – right before Thorin yelled at both of them for being idiots, who had nothing better to do than to give the trolls some tips about the best way how to cook them, before he stormed off.

Both hobbits looked a bit stunned and hurt at the notion, mumbling something about having no weapons, but then Dwalin and Nori came, making them jump by slapping their shoulders and with smirks congratulated them for quick thinking.

"That was some courage there, to stand there and speak to the trolls as if nothing was happening," said Ori, when he came to join them with Fili and Kili.

Bilbo scratched behind his ear in embarrassment. "Well, outside we may have seemed calm…"

"… but inside, we were running all the way to Shire, screaming," finished Viola with similarly sheepish smile, making the dwarves roar in laughter, before they decided to search through the trolls den and find a secret treasure hidden there.

Both of them were armed when they left, but somehow the knowledge didn't grant them any peace.


	4. Sleeping Close

**A/N: **Imagine how improper it could be.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING…

* * *

**Sleeping Close  
**

It wasn't anything they would especially hide from the others, but no one noticed it for several days; when the time you sleep came, Bilbo and Viola would always sleep with their bedrolls close to each other, apart from the others, holding hands between their bodies, fingers of one resting lightly on the wrist of the other one. Unless one – or both – of them were on watch, they would go sleep at the same time and mostly were among the first to do so.

At the same time, they would also rise first, preparing breakfast with the dwarf who was on the last watch, quietly talking between themselves as not to interrupt the precious sleep of others.

When the others finally noticed it, Balin was the first one to question it. "How comes the two of you sleep so close to each other, Miss Viola?" he asked one morning.

Viola gave him a smile. "Well, first of all, it's quite cold," she replied, her eyes shining with laugher, "and second, we hobbits are very tactile creatures – we need touch, and if we sleep close to each other, we instinctively seek contact."

She fell silent for a moment, obviously hesitating whether she should add something else. "Just imagine how improper it would be, if any of us slept next to one of you," she said at last, suddenly giggling at the way Balin's cheeks flushed.

That night had been also exceptionally cold – making Viola and Bilbo combine their bedrolls, as they snuggled close in their sleep, Balin smiling slightly at the sight, shaking his head as he looked around and saw the incredulous looks the others were giving them.

Next day, Ori presented them with matching sweaters, earning himself profound thanks and smiles, as well as a kiss on the cheek that left him blushing for an hour.


	5. Headache

**A/N: **How does it feel when there are orcs running and pounding at everything in your head.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING…

* * *

**Headache  
**

With all the noise the company is making, Bilbo thought it some kind of miracle that Bifur didn't suffer from his crippling headaches more often. After all, he rationalized, having a pike in your head sure was doomed to make you suffer from headaches all that often, and even without one you could get it from the noise, sudden temperature changes or not enough of what hobbits would usually consider proper rest.

Today was one of the days with lots of ruckus, not enough rest and too much pressure on everyone. Thinking of that, it was no wonder that things went south when the day was nearing evening, Bifur snapping out of his usual brooding into state of shock, when he would start trembling, his words not making much sense even to his family, as he mumbled, shrinking from touch of anyone who would come near.

Bilbo, Bofur and Viola just take a look at him, Bilbo immediately moving everyone further from distressed dwarf, while Bofur and Viola talked to him in hushed voices. When whatever Bofur said in the language of the dwarves failed to calm his agitated cousin, Viola unexpectedly started singing a gentle hobbit song – a lullaby – about sun slowly setting, flowers going to sleep and sweet dreams that are due to visit the minds of little ones who go to bed when they are told to, Bilbo quietly adding his voice to hers as they switch from the lullaby to soft song about unrequited love. Slowly, Bifur calms down enough for still singing Viola to come closer, who, while being instructed by Bofur, starts to massage Bifur's head tenderly, careful not to aggravate the area where the axe is still stuck in Bifur's skull, to help to alleviate the symptoms that are related to the blasted axe.

The next day, Bifur wakes up with his head on Viola's lap, her hand resting on his shoulder, as she leans against the nearest tree in her sleep. For a moment, the dwarf feels ashamed of himself; and he tries to disentangle from under the blankets that cover them both. His trying is successful, because he manages to get away without stirring the still sleeping hobbit lass.

From the other side of the camp, Dwalin is watching them, as Bifur stands, covers Viola with another blanket and sneaks away.

Nothing more is said about the subject as the company continues on their journey to east, only Viola finds a daisy in her lap upon waking up.


	6. Rivendell

**A/N: **Big changes are ahead.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING… Also, is this the place where I burst in tears over all the magnificent support I got from my readers?

* * *

**Rivendell  
**

Rivendell is so much more to Viola and Bilbo, they can't even voice it. They are fully aware of the disapproving looks Thorin shoots their way, and the way the older dwarves look at them as if they grew a second head, but still they walk close to each other, hand in hand, mouths open as they gaze upon the majestic buildings of elven town.

And no matter how hard they tried to mask it in face of the dwarves, the elves seemed just as curious about their small curious guests.

Most of the days they stay in Rivendell the rest of the company sees the hobbits only during meals, and even then their attention is often called away, be it for an elf being curious about something, or by the hobbits asking the elves about this or that. Both of them show to be also quite charming, as they agreed with putting a small performance of hobbit dances and songs for their hosts and almost against themselves the dwarves follow after them, letting themselves to be led to a small amphitheatre, where the pair sings about Shire, flowers and feasts, switching to songs of Men and Elves afterwards. Ori thought he later saw Viola walking away with a human boy of all possible people, both of them speaking with excited gestures as they rushed away, Bilbo's and Ori's eyes following after them.

Rivendell also brought some changes into the company – the biggest one of them all being Viola.

It sure gave Kili and Fili startle of their lives, when they run towards a familiar hobbit figure on a terrace, wrapping their arms around their shoulders, while saying: "Master Baggins, shouldn't you be with Thorin and Gandalf?" only to have Viola's voice respond to them. "I'm fairly sure Bilbo is still at that meeting, Kili and Fili, why do you ask?"

Both princes jump away from the hobbit, eyes wide with shock. "_Viola?!"_

Before them stands Viola; dressed in nearly exact copy of what they grew up to associate with Bilbo Baggins – exact the same coloured pants, shirt, vest and coat… Even her hair had been cut short to the same length!

"What have you done to your hair?!" squeaks Kili, and Viola giggles. "Well, I got it cut, so it wouldn't get in my way all the time. How you dwarves manage it is while travelling absolutely out of my understanding," she finished, pushing a stray lock of her suddenly short hair behind her ear. "Not to mention, since I wouldn't be able to pass as a dwarf anyway, I better try to pass as a gentlehobbit, no?"

"Master Baggins, what are you doing here?"

Viola made a face before she turned around to face the newcomer. "It's _Miss Viola_, thank you very much, master Dwalin," she said, her eyes betraying her merriment at the obvious surprise she could see in the face of the dwarf.

This will be _so much fun_, when the rest of the company sees her for the first time.

* * *

**A/N:** I changed the story picture to show Viola and Bilbo in all their twin beauty before Viola got herself some man clothing. Believe me, Azalea Dolls just about stole my soul. And before I forget - get ready for the next chapter, because we are going to have so much fun in it!


	7. The Tempest and Gifted Dwarves

**A/N: **Of the time where Viola is so not amused by the way her guise seems to be working.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, but hey, if only I had the ONE RING… Also, is this the place where I burst in tears over all the magnificent support I got from my readers?

* * *

**The Tempest and Gifted Dwarves  
**

Leaving the Rivendell they way they did made Bilbo and Viola rather sad; both their faces rather sullen, as they looked back at the majestic towers of the elven city. Thorin on his part had been even more ill-tempered than he usually was, snapping at everyone, and most of all at the two hobbits, looking so similar to each other with their same-looking clothing, equally short hair, small hairy feet, smooth faces and most of all, their sincere awe in face of the elves.

Bofur himself had been wondering what was the most damning thing the two of them done, to earn themselves so much scorn from the dwarven King. Himself, he could find nothing. Then the company got in the way of battle of stone giants, with the stones flying through the air, crashing into rocks and causing all of them continue their way unsteadily, when suddenly, Viola dropped from his sight, and only after some frantic searching he and Bilbo had been able to locate her as she hung from the edge of the rock, clinging to it desperately, her eyes wide with fear, as her grip slowly but surely slipped.

Before she could fall, though, Thorin himself swooped by and dragged the hobbit woman to safety – but the words he said to her afterwards made tears well in her eyes as she bit down on her lip to stop herself from breaking in the middle of the danger they were in. Bilbo opened his mouth to say something to Thorin, only to be stopped by Viola, who grasped his hand in hers and shook her head, looking down. Still, the hobbit glared at Thorin's back with such flames in his gaze that for a moment Bofur was surprised Thorin's clothing didn't catch on fire.

It almost didn't come as a surprise when both hobbits decided that enough was enough and wanted to leave the company to return to Rivendell. Suddenly, as they spoke, Bilbo's sword started gleaming in the bright blue light, and then the ground of the cave dropped and they were captured by none better than goblins.

**-o.O.o-**

Every single part of Viola's body hurt badly. First, the fall through the ground in the cave they decided to take refuge in, then the rough treatment at hands of goblins as they dragged them through their city to their King (part of Viola wondered how ugly could a goblin get), and then it was decided that she, as the youngest man (it would have actually be quite funny, how convincing her guise was, if not for the circumstances), for she lacked the beard all others were sporting, was to be tortured before them, in order to gather information about why the dwarves were invading the goblin realm.

For a fleeting moment Viola thought that would be it, as the goblins tore her from the protective embrace of no one else but the big and gruff Dwalin, kicking her several times, before Gandalf made one hell of a grand and well-timed entrance that allowed them to escape. She had been rushing together with others, dagger held firmly in her hand, as they fought their way through goblin city. It nearly drove her to hysterics, when Gandalf killed the goblin King and his monstrous body broke the bridge he was standing at and fell down on them, bringing them further down. Her own fall had been cushioned by Dwalin, who pulled her to himself as they were falling, protecting her from the fall that would hurt much more than it already did, if it didn't directly kill her.

When they finally escaped the caves, she almost felt like dropping to her knees and kissing the soil around them in thanks. But then Gandalf asked about Bilbo's whereabouts, and her heart dropped, as she thought back when she saw him the last time.

"He's been lost ever since he left his home. He should not have come; he has no place among us."

And that was when Viola had right enough of all of this. Later, she would claim she had no idea what possessed her to do what she did, but in that very moment, she just marched directly in front of Thorin and answered his scowl with a loud (and definitely painful, if she were to judge by the way her palm hurt) slap.

Smack!

"_How dare you_!" she hissed at him with all the anger that boiled in her throughout the weeks of the journey, stoking itself after every insult, every mockery, every single one of the disdainful remarks tossed hers and Bilbo's way. "How dare you say anything like that about Bilbo!" She was almost tempted to slap him again, as she watched the surprise in the whole company. "For the whole time you had nothing but disdain and disrespect towards both of us, and now I have right enough of it all! If this is how you treat all of your allies, it's no wonder you got so very few of them!"

_There._ Silence fell over the whole company, as she stood there and glared up at Thorin, panting for breath. For a fleeting moment it looked as if Thorin would strike her back, and from corner of her eye she could see Gandalf opening his mouth to step in, when another voice joined them:

"I beg your pardon."

"Bilbo!" she exclaimed, tearing herself from her place in front of Thorin only to throw herself at battered, tired and bruised Bilbo, hugging him just as tightly as he hugged her. She hid her face in his neck, feeling him to the same as he hid his face in her hair. "I knew you would find a way!" she whispered, feeling him nod, before they tore themselves from each other to answer Thorin's furious questioning.

Then they are running again, her hand securely held in Bilbo's as they run for their lives. When Bilbo climbs up to run to Thorin's rescue as the dwarf is knocked unconscious by the pale orc, she is right behind him, slamming the stick that somehow made its way into her hands at some orc's head, before she pulled her dagger out once again, clumsily stabbing at the wargs, just like Bilbo is waving his sword, once again gleaming with that bright blue light, around in the same clumsy, yet rather effective fashion. That was when the others managed to join them around Thorin, and next moment, the great eagles were swooping down, plucking them up and flying away.

When they landed, Viola had been busy throwing her insides up, when she thought of all that had happened in the last hours, with Bilbo kneeling next to her, as he held her around shoulders. She didn't have it in her to stand up when Thorin's voice once again thundered behind her, even as Bilbo jumped to his feet and stood above her, as if to shield her from whatever hurtful remarks Thorin might have tossed their way, only to receive the biggest surprise they received so far in the journey.

"I have never been so wrong."

Looking up at stunned Bilbo, standing stiffly in Thorin's heartfelt embrace, Viola couldn't help but quip: "Not to look gifted dwarf in the mouth but… who are you and what have you done to Thorin?"

It earned her another scowl – but this one; this one had not been so full of disdain as had been all the others.

* * *

**A/N:** Really - like you never wanted to do that. Also, thank you for pointing the error I had in this, ACreativeHobbbit - I think I fail at life for such a silly mistake xD


End file.
